First off, I’d just like to point out that you can use Italian sausage instead of ground beef in just about any recipe to give a little extra zing!

Also, this reminds me of one of my favorite things about Italian food in general: most of it is really, really simple! Most traditional Italian food relies on a few, but good and fresh, ingredients. One of my favorites uses only 3!:

Make your pasta, but before you drain it save out a cup or so of the water it’s boiling in. Put it back into the original pot while still nice and hot. Add cheese & pepper and a little bit of the water (not too much, you can always add more) until the cheese has melted a bit. Serve.

It can be a bit tricky to get the consistency just right, but that doesn’t change the taste too much. And you still have 2 ingredients left over, so have a little salad or desert if you want!

Pound the chicken breasts out so they are about 1/4-1/2 inch think. Dice the green peppers and the onion, mix with the cream cheese. Put 1/3 of mixture onto each chicken breast. Fold the chicken breast over top of itself and wrap in the bacon. Bake on 350 for 50 minutes or until the bacon is browned and enjoy.

]]>By: mark gillhttp://www.artofmanliness.com/2011/05/25/1-pot-1-pan-5-ingredients-5-minimalist-meals/comment-page-1/#comment-152429
Thu, 09 Jun 2011 13:25:03 +0000http://artofmanliness.com/?p=17196#comment-152429I’ve always found frying some prawns with chilli, garlic and tomato, linguine plus a dash of cream to be one of the simplest meal to throw together.

I am now officially starving. What is it about reading about food?

Hemingway was a bugger for this as well. He writes about cooking in a way that has your running to the kitchen. Just check out ‘Big Two Hearted River’ II when Nick Adams prepares a simple breakfast.

]]>By: 2buttonswaghttp://www.artofmanliness.com/2011/05/25/1-pot-1-pan-5-ingredients-5-minimalist-meals/comment-page-1/#comment-152274
Tue, 07 Jun 2011 16:51:50 +0000http://artofmanliness.com/?p=17196#comment-152274Dear god this all sounds amazing. I need to whipe the drool from the side of my mouth and tears from my eyes and go grab this off the printer.
]]>By: Javierhttp://www.artofmanliness.com/2011/05/25/1-pot-1-pan-5-ingredients-5-minimalist-meals/comment-page-1/#comment-152271
Tue, 07 Jun 2011 16:00:07 +0000http://artofmanliness.com/?p=17196#comment-152271Thanks for the tips. Good stuff. I like the Dutch Oven recipes in the comments. Thanks guys.
]]>By: Kenhttp://www.artofmanliness.com/2011/05/25/1-pot-1-pan-5-ingredients-5-minimalist-meals/comment-page-1/#comment-152188
Mon, 06 Jun 2011 15:13:35 +0000http://artofmanliness.com/?p=17196#comment-152188On Tilapia, first of all it is not a good idea to eat any fish that is farm raised. Farm raised fish are fed a heavily corn based diet which changes their saturated fat structure from a wild fish and are therefore not as healthy for us. This could also include catfish and even salmon. Tilapia also contain higher levels of omega-6 fatty acids that are believed to lead to increased blood clotting and are found in a lot of unhealthy snack foods. So if you are going to cook a fish meal, do it with a wild fish of some type.
]]>By: Brent B.http://www.artofmanliness.com/2011/05/25/1-pot-1-pan-5-ingredients-5-minimalist-meals/comment-page-1/#comment-152126
Sun, 05 Jun 2011 01:50:18 +0000http://artofmanliness.com/?p=17196#comment-152126Props for the PBR ref. I’m glad that you have as much taste as I.
]]>By: Joe @ Not Your Average Joehttp://www.artofmanliness.com/2011/05/25/1-pot-1-pan-5-ingredients-5-minimalist-meals/comment-page-1/#comment-151976
Wed, 01 Jun 2011 19:06:32 +0000http://artofmanliness.com/?p=17196#comment-151976Guys, when you do the spaghetti with sausage or meatballs, please don’t use store bought sauce. It is so easy to make your own, and the taste and quality will be fantastic. I have a great, simple to do recipe for anyone that wants it, contact me via the link to my blog.
]]>By: C W Hutchinshttp://www.artofmanliness.com/2011/05/25/1-pot-1-pan-5-ingredients-5-minimalist-meals/comment-page-1/#comment-151968
Wed, 01 Jun 2011 16:37:17 +0000http://artofmanliness.com/?p=17196#comment-151968What kind of man are you if you need a cook book?
]]>